"We educate students for a career likely to span 40 to 50 years" says Case Western Law Dean but grads need jobs to pay off student loans now

Quoting from Dean Lawrence Mitchell's NYT think piece, Law School Is Worth the Money:

I’m a law dean, and I’m proud. And I think it’s time to stop the nonsense. After two years of almost relentless attacks on law schools, a bit of perspective would be nice.

For at least two years, the popular press, bloggers and a few sensationalist law professors have turned American law schools into the new investment banks. We entice bright young students into our academic clutches. Succubus-like, when we’ve taken what we want from them, we return them to the mean and barren streets to fend for themselves.

Ah, OK. Law school may be worth the money if grads find jobs that earn enough to start paying off their loan debt while keeping a roof over their heads until they finally land a job to start their legal careers. With plenty of experienced young lawyers unemployed and the escalating number of grads produced each year who are not employed in the legal profession, every new graduating class will find it harder to start their legal career. Many will simply give up. Even a 10 year "career" as a contract employee performing document examination work is unlikely due to advances in information technology.

ATL's email in-box was filled with reactions to Dean Mitchell's immediately notorious wishful thinking piece. See Elie Mystal's Students and Recent Graduates Speak Out About Dean Mitchell’s Defense of Law School. [JH]